Fast half-loop maneuvers for the F/A-18 fighter aircraft using a singular pertubation feedback control law

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Abstract

The primary purpose of this study is to develop a nonlinear feedback control law for the
F / A-I8 fighter aircraft that performs a fast half-loop maneuver. This feedback law is
developed using a singular perturbation approach. A secondary purpose of this study
is to establish a baseline for time optimal half-loop maneuvers. The singular perturbation
approach makes it possible to develop a state feedback control law which rotates
the velocity vector through one hundred and eighty degrees at a maximum equilibrium
pitch rate with a nearly constant angle of attack. The response of the aircraft to the
control law is compared to simulations of half-loop maneuvers generated at NASA
Langley Research Center.